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[–] New_Iso 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago  (edited ago)

Good points. There is always an economic angle... like Russia invading the Ukraine for natural gas.

I don't think train moguls are paying for this. They'll take the extra business, but a pipeline isn't going to detract that much from their cut. If anything, a pipeline will make shipping costs cheaper (so they'll be more competitive), and it will cut the liability of moving massive amounts of volatile cargo.

EDIT: You've got to remember, rail is more diversified than bulk commodities. They've got to compete with trucks for other cargo, and clogging their rails with oil cars restricts the other cargo which could have been transported instead. They might be getting a good rate right now for coming to big oil's beck-and-call, but in the long run it compounds liability and stagnates their operations.